VA Life Insurance — what to do at separation
Your SGLI ends 120 days after separation. You have a 240-day window to convert it to VGLI without health questions — and a final 1 year + 120 day window if you can prove insurability. This page walks you through the decision.
Don't miss the 240-day window
If you have ANY service-connected condition rated or pending — or any medical issue that could affect underwriting — apply for VGLI inside the 240-day window before shopping commercial. You can always cancel VGLI later if private term comes back cheaper.
VGLI conversion countdown
After separation you have 240 days to convert SGLI to VGLI without health questions. After that, you have until 1 year + 120 days with proof of insurability.
VA life insurance products
SGLI
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance- Eligible
- Active duty, Guard/Reserve on active orders, ROTC, cadets
- Max coverage
- $500,000
- Cost
- $30/mo for max coverage (6¢/$1,000)
Automatic enrollment at $500K. You can decline or reduce in $50K increments. Covers off-duty time, deployments, and most causes of death (including non-combat).
VGLI
Veterans Group Life Insurance- Eligible
- Separating service members within 1 year + 120 days of separation (240-day no-health-questions window)
- Max coverage
- Up to your SGLI amount at separation, max $500,000
- Cost
- Age-banded — climbs significantly after 50
Direct conversion of SGLI. NO health questions for the first 240 days. After 240 days through 1 yr + 120 days you can still apply but must show insurability.
FSGLI
Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance- Eligible
- Spouses of active-duty SGLI-insured members; dependent children covered free
- Max coverage
- Spouse: $100,000. Each child: $10,000 free.
- Cost
- Spouse: age-banded ($4.50/mo at age 30 for $100K, rising with age)
Spouse coverage ENDS when the service member separates. Convert to a private/commercial policy within 120 days (with proof of insurability).
S-DVI
Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance- Eligible
- Veterans with a new service-connected disability rating (any %)
- Max coverage
- $10,000 base, plus $30,000 supplemental for totally disabled vets
- Cost
- Premium-free for totally disabled vets; otherwise standard premiums
MUST apply within 2 years of receiving a new SC disability rating. Premiums are waived if you become totally disabled. Converted to VALife in 2023 — guaranteed acceptance for vets aged 80 and under.
Should I keep VGLI or convert to private term?
Keep VGLI
- •You have a service-connected condition that hurts private underwriting
- •You have a recently diagnosed serious illness (cancer, heart disease, etc.)
- •You are within 240 days of separation and not yet medically cleared
- •You want a guaranteed term option without a medical exam
Convert to private term
- •You are healthy and under 50
- •You want longer guarantees (e.g. 20-30 year level term)
- •You want coverage above $500K
- •You can pass underwriting with a non-rated rate class
FSGLI ends at separation — spouses have 120 days
Spouse coverage under FSGLI terminates when the service member separates. Spouses have 120 days to convert to a commercial whole-life policy with the same insurer that issued FSGLI — but this requires medical underwriting.
For most healthy spouses, comparing private term life is cheaper. But if the spouse has a serious diagnosis, the FSGLI conversion may be the only path to coverage at any reasonable cost. Decide before day 120.
S-DVI / VALife — for service-connected vets
If you receive any new service-connected disability rating, you have 2 years from the date of the rating decision to apply for S-DVI / VALife — guaranteed acceptance, no health questions. As of 2023, this program was renamed VALife and expanded:
- Up to $40,000 coverage (up from $10K under old S-DVI)
- Veterans up to age 80 are eligible
- Premiums waived for total disability — and after a 2-year waiting period cash value begins accruing
VA Insurance Center contact
- Phone: 1-800-419-1473 (8 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, M-F)
- Email: VAINSCO@va.gov
- Web: va.gov/life-insurance